When I was working a full day with little extra time to spare, my version of Apple Strudel was a quick go-to dessert to whip up with relatively little effort and not too many steps to remember. I had discovered phyllo pastry through my Aunty Joyce who used it in her Spinach Pie. It keeps well in the freezer and defrosts in no time at all. Buy a big bag of granny smith apples and get cracking,
For an alternative try Aria’s Caramel Apple Pie
Apple Strudel
Ingredients
- 1.2 kg granny smith apples
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ lemon juice and zest
- 100 g pecans
- 50 g brown sugar plus 1-2 Tbls extra
- 1 tsp cinnamon and extra for pastry
- 250 g phyllo pastry
- 100 g butter plus extra knob for apples
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 180℃
- Peel and core the 1.2 kg granny smith apples. Slice into ⅛ or cut into cubes. Place in bowl of cold water with 1 tsp salt.
- Toast the 100 g pecans in oven for 5 min. Cool and roughly chop
- Drain the apples. Add the 50 g brown sugar to a large sauce pan and add the apples, ½ lemon juice and zest, 1 tsp cinnamon. Cook for about 5 minutes – 10 minutes until the apples are soft, but still hold their shape. Remove from heat and cool. Taste to ensure you are happy with their desired sweetness.
- Melt the 100 g butterin the microwave
- Wet a clean tea towel and place on the countertop laying it spread out and flat. Place 1 sheet of 250 g phyllo pastry and brush with the melted 100 g butter. Lay another sheet on top of that sheet of phyllo and repeat the process of brushing with melted butter. Repeat until all the phyllo has been used.
- Sprinkle 2 Tbls of brown sugar on top of buttered phyllo leaving a 2cm border around the edge of the pastry
- Sprinkle the toasted pecans on top of the sugar
- Add the apples on top of the nuts and an optional knob of butter
- Fold in the sides of the pastry border. Use the tea towel to roll up the strudel. Place onto a baking sheet lined with baking paper and bake in pre heated oven at 180℃ for 45 min. Serve with whipped cream
Notes
Tip
Putting the apples in the salted water stops them from turning brown. It’s proven to be more effective than lemon juice. This is a very good tip if you put apple pieces into your kids lunch boxes or your own lunch box for that matter. The apples will stay their fresh colour with no browning at all.
